Description of Related Art
Modern progress has necessitated the development and use of waste collection systems as an alternative to unabated sewage disposal. Such collection systems are necessitated by the inherent limitations of residential and commercial sewage systems. Most of today's sewage systems are not able to accept either the quantities or the varying types of raw sewage produced from residential and commercial facilities. Simply, the output of residential and commercial sewage has outpaced the acceptable capacity for these sewage systems. Moreover, the contents of the sewage itself often makes unrestricted disposal and collection impractical or outright hazardous.
As a result of the increasing and undue strain placed on community sewage systems, limitations have been placed on both the quantities and types of waste which may be properly disposed in these systems. For example, state and local municipalities have placed limitations on the quantities of oil and grease which may be introduced into municipal sewage collection systems. Most commercial businesses are required to maintain a grease trap to collect the grease, thereby preventing most of the grease from entering the sewage system. The grease or other organic waste is collected in the trap where the organic material will naturally decompose or eventually be removed and reclaimed along with the non-organic waste. However, in an effort to minimize both the accumulation as well as efforts to remove the collected waste in these traps, the use of remediation devices has been implemented that introduce bacterial supplements into the collection system. The bacterial supplements reduce the amount of grease and maximize organic decomposition.
Presently, commercially available bioremediation devices are commonly used to remediate waste collections systems such as sewage systems and grease traps. The term "bioremediation" refers to a biological process wherein grease and other organic matter are converted to carbon dioxide and water. However, these known remediation devices inadequately address today's needs. Such remediation devices are unsuited for reducing the accumulated waste materials to a level where the collection system can then be adequately maintained. Moreover, as a result of the increasing use of waste collection system, the demand for removal of accumulated waste has equally increased. Therefore, extended periods of time between reduction and/or removal of the accumulated waste often exacerbates waste handling problems.
It is known to place a bacterial incubator in a collection system to facilitate organic reduction of waste materials. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,670,149 and 4,925,564 to Frances disclose bacterial incubator devices providing a large surface area intended to facilitate bacterial growth within the sewage collection system. The bacteria enter the system by passing through the enclosure and are intended to indiscriminately attack the contents of the collection system without regard to distinguishing particular contents or providing relatively rapid short-term bioremediation followed by maintenance of remediating bacteria and enzymes in the system.
In response to the realized inadequacies of these earlier remediation devices, it became clear there is a need for a bioremediation device which will individually address the waste material as well as the waste water throughout the collection system. This device must have a variable capacity to provide relatively rapid introduction of bacteria and enzymes, or both, into the waste water to initiate remediation of organics such as grease or the like. Once the organic waste materials have been substantially reduced, the remediation device should maintain remediating bacteria or enzymes in the waste water in the collection system by replenishing the remediating agents that are diminished or flow out the system.